Tetsu-Guro Black
Tetsu-Guro Black is a moderately saturated orange shade with RGB(40, 26, 20) and hex code #281A14, reading as very dark, close to black at a glance.
HEX
#281A14
RGB
40, 26, 20
HSL
18°, 33%, 12%
CMYK
0%, 35%, 50%, 84%
LAB
11, 6, 7
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Description
- •Tetsu-Guro Black (#281A14) is a warm-toned orange color defined by RGB values of 40, 26, 20 and HSL values of 18 degrees hue, 33% saturation, and 12% lightness. At 12% lightness it appears very dark, close to black, and its moderately saturated character makes it well suited for backgrounds, text, or supporting UI elements. It pairs naturally with its complementary shade #142228 for high-contrast schemes, or with the analogous tones #282414 and #281418 for a more harmonious palette.
Psychology
As a orange shade, Tetsu-Guro Black tends to carry the general associations of that hue family: creativity, enthusiasm, and approachability. Orange sits between red and yellow on the wheel and is often associated with warmth, enthusiasm, and affordability in branding.
Hue family
orange
Saturation level
moderately saturated
Lightness level
very dark, close to black
Temperature
warm
Because Tetsu-Guro Black is moderately saturated and very dark, close to black, it tends to feel calm and unobtrusive in a design context.
Meaning
Within the orange family, colors like Tetsu-Guro Black are commonly associated with creativity, enthusiasm, and approachability, though exact interpretation depends on cultural context and surrounding design elements.
Hue family
orange
Common associations
creativity, enthusiasm, and approachability
Temperature
warm
History
- 1Tetsu-Guro Black is a named point in a modern digital color palette rather than a documented historical pigment, but the orange family it belongs to has a long design history. Orange sits between red and yellow on the wheel and is often associated with warmth, enthusiasm, and affordability in branding.
Color info
Quick actions
Visual perception
- At HSL(18, 33%, 12%), Tetsu-Guro Black has a relative luminance of about 0.01 on a 0-1 scale, which generally poses low risk for common color vision deficiencies, though pairing with sufficient lightness contrast is still recommended.
Technology specific
- Tetsu-Guro Black (#281A14) renders consistently on standard sRGB displays; on wider-gamut or uncalibrated screens, expect minor shifts in perceived saturation. For print reproduction, convert from RGB to CMYK and proof physically, since muted colors like this can shift noticeably between screen and print.
Guidance
Use Tetsu-Guro Black with white text for readability (contrast ratio approximately 16.8:1). It is versatile enough to use for larger surfaces such as backgrounds or cards.
Examples
web design
page backgrounds
branding
neutral brand background
UI design
card and panel backgrounds
body text or subtle fill
Purpose
Tetsu-Guro Black works well for backgrounds, body text, or supporting UI surfaces where subtlety matters, given its moderately saturated and very dark, close to black profile.
Benefits
visual contrast
pairs with white text for a WCAG contrast ratio of about 16.8:1
palette flexibility
combines with #142228 (complementary) and #14281A/#1A1428 (triadic) for varied schemes
brand consistency
reads as calm and neutral across most screens